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Zi vs Prezto: catalog facts
Zi	Prezto

Best for: zsh users with many plugins who care about startup time	Best for: Zsh users who want a curated, modular shell configuration
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Command line
Manages zsh plugins, themes and completions Focused on fast shell startup	Modular, so you enable only the parts you want Includes completion and prompt themes out of the box Works with Zsh 4.3.11 and later
Only works with zsh Configuration takes some learning	Only works with Zsh Installation is a manual Git clone and symlink setup
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Zi github.com/z-shell/zi Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Prezto github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.